Sick week...

We started the week with Maxine spiking a fever. So we stayed home, watched tv and generally laid around in our pajamas. Tuesday she was feeling better. Thursday morning Jack spiked a fever. He's feeling a little better today but still lethargic. He's watching Top Gear in his Christmas "Stig" pyjamas (that's how they spell pajamas in the UK).

Juliet awoke this morning with the fever. She went back to sleep at 10:30 a.m. and has been asleep since. (I could've nabbed a better pic with my new camera but the shutter sound is quieter on my point and shoot and I didn't want to wake her up.)

The fevers have been uneventful, pretty low-grade and no vomiting thankfully. Just Tylenol and a lot of laying around.

The unintended by-product of feverish children? Not being able to leave for errands and generally looking around the house for things to do. I'm all caught up on laundry, I've organized a closet, and cleaned the storage room that has all the camping gear in it.

Before it was cleaned, there was stuff ALL OVER THE FLOOR, bins were dumped out to find something in the bottom and never put away. The sleeping bags were unrolled, climbing gear was dumped out of its bag, and 3 years of cups and garbage toted down there by the kids and left. Now the room has order! Yeah!

I decided I wanted to wire a light in there too. Since we're not currently working on the basement, I told Merril to pick up a cheap light fixture from Home Depot. It was $1 and now I can see what I'm looking for at night. That was so totally worth it.

And just as a side note, I've noticed I'm having a harder time throwing away anything fabric-like. Older shirts, jeans, baby blankets and keep trying to think of a way to piece a quilt together with all the scraps. And then I felt like someone living in the olden days when they used to piece quilts together with any scrap they came across. Hopefully I can piece something kind of cute. Not likely any time soon. :)

Homemade gifts...

I like to make some homemade gifts. I made Juliet some flower bows that weren't very interesting but I worked hard on Jack and Maxine's gifts. I made Maxine a scripture case. It was inspired by a quilting friend. Maxine loves this scrap fabric that we've had hanging around the house so that's what it's made out of. Think Asian and silky.

I made Jack a stick horse because we have 2 and someone is always left out.

The horse is smiling but you can't tell from this angle.

And Merril got me this!

He got it used on Craig's list and it was a steal. I will most likely take my little camera lots of places because I don't always like to lug a huge camera but the new camera is fantastic in low light!!

And this last picture is a nativity picture from Christmas Eve.

Nutcracker Patrol...

My Dad loves Christmas nutcrackers. Even that might be an understatement. He collects them and probably has upwards of 500 in different sizes. So occasionally, he gives us some when he gets duplicates. I've had a hard time thinking of where to put them. This year the kids brought them up from the basement and put them in front of the tree. The purpose? To guard the presents.

They stand as watchmen to make sure no one tampers with the presents. Especially Merril.

Merry Christmas!! I'm watching It's a Wonderful Life!

Leaky...

I was getting ready for bed 2 nights ago and the floor was damp. Just as background information, we have a waterbed. Sure enough, it had sprung a leak and dripped a little on the floor. So instead of jumping into bed, Merril and I were draining a waterbed and inflating an air mattress. Bummer. Got a new one and it's filled but that's not what I wanted to do right before Christmas. ;}

Triple Combination Challenge Completed...

I just finished the Doctrine & Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price and the Book of Mormon in 3 months! I have until Sunday the 19th so I finished a few days early. This challenge was such a wonderful blessing to me! It was an eye-opening experience to read the scriptures so quickly. The people and the history made more sense instead of dragging on reading the Book of Mormon over a period of years. I was moved to tears a number of times, I was inspired, and I was chastised. I was exceedingly saddened by this people that were so happy and so faithful and then turned so horribly wicked and destroyed themselves. During this Christmas season, I encourage everyone to have more faith, more charity, give selflessly and consecrate themselves more because this brings happiness! :) Merry Christmas!

It's the wood that makes it good...

A friend of ours does odd jobs cleaning houses after they've been foreclosed. So he calls Merril and says he has a whole bunch of wood that he's taking to the dump unless we want it. So Merril calls me and I say, "YES I WANT IT!" Now you might be thinking to yourselves, "What's so awesome about free wood?" Wood makes fire. Fires makes roasted marshmallows, dutch oven cooking, bonfires, tin foil dinners and improves general well being when sat around. Plus, I feel it adds to our preparedness factor by being able to cook some food or provide heat in an emergency. So here's our new wood pile. Next will be a fire pit, I'm sure.

And if anyone else feels like they want to ditch some wood at my house, you're more than welcome.

Where is it?

Merril and a buddy from Australia were at Wal-Mart the other night. They were shopping for things you can't get in Australia. So Merril called me from Wal-Mart and said, "Where are the Twinkies?" I narrowed my eyes and said, "The end of the bread aisle? I think there's a whole Hostess section there." After a pause on the other line he says, "Oh yep! Here they are! Thanks babe!"

This isn't the first time Merril's called me with a question about where to find something in Wal-Mart. I'm his personal Wal-Mart associate, except I don't get paid. And to date, I've never steered him wrong. I'm just trying to figure out how to market it. I could post little signs in Wal-Mart that say, "Can't find what you're looking for? Call Jamie." Heaven knows I spend way too much time there. The greeters must think I have no life.

The Silver Lining...

Maxine woke up at 5 a.m. saying, "I feel like I'm going to throw up." Bummer. So I stayed up with her and she ended up throwing up at 6 a.m., 7 a.m., and 8 a.m. Double bummer. So she earned a day out of school and I looked at the inside of the house and thought, "Well, I'm not going anywhere today....I might as well finish decorating for Christmas!!" So I put up the Christmas village, the pine garland, the advent calendar, and the stockings. Afterwards, I figured I could assemble Christmas cards. Normally, I would've worked for an hour and quit. But I didn't have anything to do so I finished them all! They're addressed and ready to go.

Maxine didn't throw up anymore and seems completely fine now. And because she was sick, I got a lot done!